Hebrews 11 is sometimes referred to as the “hall of fame of faith,” and understandably so.  Many great examples of faith throughout Biblical history are cited.  Some are merely mentioned by name(Heb. 11:32), and some are referred to by what they did(Heb. 11:33-38).  One person mentioned by name, but whose faith is not elaborated on is Samuel(Heb. 11:32).  Samuel’s mother was Hannah, and she was a woman of great faith.

A Woman of Her Time

People are best understood within the context of when and where they lived(i.e. culture).  The events of the first two chapters of Samuel, covering Hannah’s life, take place in approximately _____BC.  This would be between the time that Gideon was a judge and when Samson was a judge in Israel.  At this time, the main goal for a woman was to get married and to have children.  Being without either of these would cause a woman to be considered “less than who she should be.”  Hannah was married to Elkanah(I Sam. 1:1-2), so she had a husband.  However, she had no children(I Sam. 1:2).  Her lack of children caused Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, to verbally attack her relentlessly(I Sam. 1:5-8).  These constant verbal attacks took their tool on Hannah, as she would weep and refuse to eat(I Sam. 1:7).  Although Elkanah seemed to love her very much, Hannah was a barren woman living in a society that looked down on barren women.  What could she do?  Who could she turn to?

Hannah’s Faith

When Hannah found herself helpless and hopeless, she turned to the Lord.  God had spoken the entire universe into existence by merely uttering a few words.  He could do anything.  He could give a barren woman a child, but would He?  When Hannah was at Shiloh, the place designated to worship God at the time, she prayed to God, weeping bitterly.  In her prayer, she told God that if He would bless her with a son, she would give that to Him for all the days of his life.  This might seem like an odd thing to say.  She wants a child, but if God gives her one, she will just give that child away.  That makes no sense.  It’s like asking for something to eat when you are hungry, then giving the food to someone else after someone gives you something to eat.  But it actually does make sense, if you understand Hannah’s heart.

Hannah’s Love for the Lord

At a time when much of Israel had turned to idolatry and immorality(see Jud. 17-21), Elkanah and Hannah were still worshipping God.  This is evidenced by their annual travel to worship and sacrifice to the Lord(I Sam. 1:3).  Hannah loved the Lord and had faith that He could remove her affliction by blessing her with a son(I Sam. 1:11).  But her love for the Lord did not end with travel, worship and sacrifice.  She was willing to do anything for the Lord, even giving up the child that she wanted more than anything else in the world. 

Hannah – A Woman of Her Word

The Lord remembered Hannah.  She conceived and had a son.  God answered her prayer.  But this was the easy part.  Now that she had the son that she wanted so much, she would have to give him back to the Lord, Who had blessed her with this son.  This had to be an incredibly difficult sacrifice, considering the fact that she wanted a son so much.  And although for some there may have been the temptation to renege on her promise to the Lord, but no such thought appears to have ever crossed her mind.  Hannah had promised to give her son to the Lord, and that is exactly what she did(I Sam. 1:21-29).  No one can doubt her faith.  No one can doubt her love, both for her son, Samuel, and for the Lord.

The Byproduct of Hannah’s Love and Faith

The son born to Hannah was Samuel.  He became a priest and a judge.  He anointed the first two kings of Israel(Saul and David).  He was someone that King Saul depended on heavily to inquire of the Lord during difficult times.  Samuel did everything he could to lead Israel back to the Lord.  He was highly respected, and the entire nation mourned at his passing(I Sam. 25:1).  As previously mentioned, Samuel is one of the people mentioned is Heb. 11:32 as a person of great faith.  But this person would not have been born without the faith of Hannah, or without Hannah’s love for the Lord.

Lessons to be Learned From Hannah

Turn to God When We Need Something We Have No Control Over

When Hannah found herself barren, she knew there was nothing she or Elkanah or anyone else could do about it.  But God could fix the problem.  Hannah asked God for a son, and her prayer was answered.  She was blessed with a son.  This is not to say that God will give us anything and everything we ask(pray) for, but sometimes there are things that are outside of our control.  And for those things, we need to learn from Hannah’s example.  We need to turn to the Lord.

Keep Your Word

When Hannah asked the Lord for a son, she made a vow that if He gave her a son, she would give that son back to Him(I Sam. 1:11).  After the Lord blessed her with a son, she kept her word and brought the child to Eli, the priest(I Sam. 1:25).  Considering the fact that she was giving away the thing she wanted most, it had to be a difficult promise to keep, but she kept it.   Sometimes we make promises that are difficult to keep, but we must keep them(Matt. 5:33-37).  Samuel stayed with Eli, and Hannah would have only seen him on her visits to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord, Who had blessed her with Samuel, as well as five more children after Samuel(I Sam. 2:21).

Don’t Be Like Everyone Else

Hannah lived in a nation saturated with idolatry and immorality(sound familiar?).  However, even though she was surrounded by sin, she chose to follow the Lord.  Most of us are surrounded by so much sin, but we have to make the choice to follow the Lord, even when almost everyone else around us refuses to do so.

Hannah Loved the Lord More Than Samuel

Based on the information contained in I Samuel 1-2, it is clear that Hannah loved Samuel.  She desperately wanted a son, going so far as to make a vow to the Lord that if He blessed her with a son, she would give him back to the Lord.  She did have a son, and after weaning him, she brought him to the Lord at Shiloh, effectively giving up what she wanted most, Samuel.  That she loved Samuel is clear.  That she loved the Lord more than Samuel is also clear.  She could have broken her vow to the Lord and kept Samuel, but she didn’t.  Why?  Because she loved the Lord even more than she loved her son.  In Matt. 10:37-38, Jesus effectively said that someone who loved anyone more than Him was not worthy of Him.  We need to be sure that we do not love anyone more than the Lord, just like Hannah.

Be Thankful For a  Great Example

If you have a mother who loves the Lord and is faithful to Him, be thankful.  Not everyone is blessed like that.  If you are married to a woman like Hannah, thank her, and thank the Lord for bringing her into your life.  If you are an unmarried man, look for a woman whose faith and love for the Lord looks like Hannah’s(Prov. 31).  If you are a woman, look to Hannah as an example to pattern your life after.  Look to other women in your own life that are similar to Hannah.  Lean on them for wisdom and guidance.

Conclusion

You don’t have to be a woman to look to Hannah for inspiration.  Her faith and love for the Lord are something that any woman or man can benefit from.  We just need to remember what she did.